The exploration of space is a common occurrence in science fiction. Two of Samuel R. Delany’s short stories, Star Pit and aye, and gomorrah, take that standard story line and complicates it, adding the caveat that only certain types of people are granted full access. In both Star Pit and aye, and gomorrah, Delany establishes story-worlds that contain a select group of individuals who are chosen to venture into space in a capacity the rest of their society is unable to do. In Star Pit, they are “golden”, a small group of “psychological freaks” able to survive going light-years past the galactic rim, a feat that destroys most (Delany 13). In aye, and gomorrah, “Spacers” are the chosen ones, forced to undergo physical alterations to qualify them for the work they are singled out to do. The result of being one of the special few, in both stories, is to be considered separate from the rest of society, and hated, ignored, or shunned. This division comes from the imposition of boundaries on what the golden …show more content…
The Spacer has no bitterness towards the physical limits they are forced to live with, the inability to have and act on sexual desires. Instead, they are more occupied by the social barrier being a Spacer create, because, also like the golden, the general public would prefer the Spacers to keep their distance. This becomes extremely clear almost immediately from the interactions the Spacers have with non-Spacers while on Earth. One of the comments made by a woman is particularly revealing, with her first saying, “Spacer, do you not think you . . . people should leave?" And continuing with when asked if she is a frelk, "Sorry. But you have nothing that . . . would be useful to me. It is too bad, for you look like you were once a woman, no? And I like women, too. . . ." (Delany
Some people call Space “The Final Frontier” but at one point all land west of the Mississippi was considered the frontier. Humans are curious people, sometimes too curious for our own good, but when we find something new we always explore and why would it be any different with space. When we explore the out reaches of space will no longer seem so small or insignificant. The idea of one day unlocking all of the Universe’s secrets, solely through our own advancements as a people, is what gives me that sense of
There are many people who see space as the last and greatest frontier for humankind. There are many groups who are leading the way and NASA is one of them. But should our tax dollars be invested in such an idea? No, according to British history professor Jerry DeGroot. His thesis, in the article “is that United States should, a sensually, defund NASA. From what I can tell, he uses mainly pathos to try to sway his argument, leaving very little appeals to ethos and practically none to logos. I’m going to explore these three appeals, as well as many of the fallacies he uses within the piece.
Stereotypes have become a socially accepted phenomena in today’s society. So socially acceptable, in fact, they have made it onto advertising billboards and into our daily language. We do not think twice as they pass our tongues, and we do tilt our heads in concern or questioning as they pass into our ears. In Judith Butler’s essay “Besides Oneself: On the Limits of Sexual Autonomy”, stereotypes are exposed and explored. Especially stereotypes pertaining to sexual orientation. Butler explains how stereotypes are unacceptable. She does this in a way which allows her to concurrently explore what it means to be human, and also what humans do or need to make Earth a livable place for ourselves. When examining Butler’s essay, one could say, and
Tom Wolfe’s book, “The Right Stuff,” is a 1979 fascinating non-fiction account of the early days of the U.S. space program. It also describes the men who aided in launching the first manned flights. It is a novel about the people who had “the right stuff” a combination of talent, heroism, athleticism and the bravery who started as test pilots and those who became the famous mercury astronauts. Legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager is one of the primary characters, whose bravery in the space became the epitome of the risky missions done by the pilots. Chuck Yeager continually set the new airspeed as well as altitude records while flying the experimental planes. Wolfe places the events in a precise political
The intended audience for this text are those who hold some sort of privilege, but don’t acknowledge or accept it. In the excerpt, Gay states that “at some point, you have to surrender to the kinds of privileges you hold. Nearly everyone, particularly in
Dubner, Stephen. "Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost?." Freakonomics: The Hidden Side of Everything. New York Times, 11/1/2010. Web. 18 Jul 2010. .
INTRODUCTION Attention-getter: “Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.” (Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek) Credibility: Throughout our childhood as we study space, solar systems, planets we all come to a point of having the dream of exploring the space or learn more about it in the future.
Tom Wolfe writes in the book “The Right Stuff” about early jet pilots that demonstrated extreme bravery, and behaviorisms that enabled them to be part of a furtive group of individuals. It has been said that these men usually assemble in groups among themselves in a way that solicited the men to be a part of a privileged membership. It is these pilots with proven courage, and abilities that will go forward testing the next barrier; space.
All-men men were concluded to be the “least supportive, responsive, or humane.” (paragraph 10) While on the other hand, androgynous men passed with flying colors. He not only knows about the feminine culture, but takes it to the next level and become a part of it. He is one who “cuddles kittens, and bounces babies, and has a sympathetic ear for someone in distress. For a sexual partner, Gross concedes that women would prefer the jock over the friend of an androgynous man. However, the masculine man would seem to portray a person resembling your opponent, having to try to “win you over.” The androgynous man would not be an “opponent” per say, but rather your teammate. Rather than a race to finish first, to the androgynous man, sensuality is a pleasure to
Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.
Women experienced a great deal of conflict to be seen as equals to men in the workplace. Homosexuals have stepped out of society’s gender expectations, producing their own controversies and disagreements. The traditional gender roles of “Shiloh” and “Boys and Girls” are from the past, and many steps have been made past them, but society still holds on tight to portions of those established ways. Still, conflict will always occur where ideas diverge.
* The personal space may be larger than normal for a man and a woman
Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought after learning about and exploring the universe. This yearning drove us to achieve such great things as the journey to the moon and the discovery of water on mars. Nowadays, several people argue as to whether or not space exploration is worth the effort. I believe that it is humanity’s instinctual nature to pursue a better understanding of ourselves, and our universe. Further understanding of our universe will lead to the discovery of new technologies and ways to secure humanity’s survivability. As such, this essay will argue that space exploration is a necessity to our kind and that NASA should be progressively more financed.
An Astronomy topic that has always been intriguing is space travel. The ability to rocket into space, look down on Earth, and “…explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before” (IMDB) is an adventure that people dream of experiencing. On July 20, 1969, an estimated six million people watched Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the Moon (Nixon Library). Presently, people are paying Virgin Galactic $250,000 to reserve a seat on a spaceship that is expected to tour suborbital space in the near future (Virgin Galactic). Although space travel continues to be of interest, there is also some controversy. Controversies include: the allocation of government resources for space exploration, government verses commercial spacecrafts, and the need to colonize other planets for the survival of humanity. The intrigue and the controversy of space travel are the reasons for this Astronomy conversation.
Anderson, E., Piven, J. & Tito, D. (2005), The Space Tourist's Handbook: Where to Go, What